New Additions to the Essential Trideography, The J.J. Gittes Edition

Mr. Black has added 2 titles to the Essential Trideography. While he was reflecting on the 2076 Olympics, both Chinatown and The Two Jakes kept springing to mind, as both films are about corruption and land grabs. So be a great GM, watch 2 good movies and steal the crap out of both of them. As usual, these new additions are in RED. Titles are listed alphabetically however. And spoilers abound, as usual. If one can spoil 20+ year-old movies, that is.

Mr. Black's Essential Shadowrun Trideography is Live!

Just a small update. Mr. Black has finally posted Mr. Black's Essential Shadowrun Trideography. This page is where you will find movies and TV shows dissected for what they can add to your game. It is not about how good or bad or cyberpunk the show is. It is solely a discussion about memorable characters a GM can drop in, examinations of themes (intended or not), or the feel and look of a scene a GM can use to illustrate a location to his players, or kick-ass quotes to unleash upon them. It is also not definitive, exclusive, or finished. Mr. Black will add to it when he is ready. Mr. Black is also not here to wordfight over: what films/TV shows are in the list; films/TV shows should be in the list; what he thinks about them; or what GM's can take away from them. Mr. Black is willing to listen to suggestions of what to add next; leave your suggestions in the comments. Mr. Black is also willing to discuss the works in general and perhaps what else can be gained by watching them; again, feel free to add to the comments. Did you take away something else entirely from the work? Send it to Mr.Black via e-mail; perhaps he will publish it. Then again, perhaps not; he is old and cranky. Nonetheless, we start with Blade Runner, Burn Notice and Robocop. Yes, the original. What, did you think Mr. Black has time to waste watching trashy unneeded remakes? (And has there been a more criminal use of an up-coming foreign director on his first American film? Mr. Black thinks not.) Now go read up, then re-watch and go stun your players.

Seattle Olympics 2076, Hell on Earth, Part 2, Timeline of Evil

 "You see, Mr. Gittes, most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and right place, they’re capable of anything.” - Noah Cross, Chinatown.

Why Kenneth Brackhaven? He seems like a nice chap. He didn't actually run the Humanis Policub after all. Mr. Black chooses Kennie because he is in power, and because he fits. Let us remember, that as powerful racists come, he is to the purple born. Sort of. His "father", like a true scion of Noah Cross, eliminated his 12-year old son who goblinized as an Ork and replaced him with Kenneth. That's right, good old Charles whacked his flesh and blood and replaced him with an orphaned street urchin, to get the pure-bred child he wanted. When you start from that kind of evil, you have no place to go but up.

So Mr. Black has laid out a scenario for evil in Seattle, disguised by the 2076 Olympics. This time we go more in depth. Once again, let's start simply. Here is a rough timeline for these events:

• 2040's - Brackhaven creates, funds and runs several Citizen's Committees for Security (CCFS), thinly veiled political action groups fronting for the Humanis Policlub.
• 2057 - Kenneth Brackhaven loses his bid for the UCAS Presidential suite. His new plan starts to simmer...
• 2058-2069 - The Road to Purgatory Phase. Brackhaven starts politicizing his money, supporting candidates throughout the Seattle Metroplex government and within Seattle's districts. His support, both covert and overt, of various Policlubs (and through them, terrorist organizations) grows.
• 2064 - Dr. Klaus Uwe Heiden, famed geneticist, winner of Moms of Metahumans' Humane Scientist of the Year award, enters the leadership of Alamos 20,000. Yes, that Alamos 20,000. According to Grima at ShadowSEA, his experiments "Make Josef Mengele look like Albert Schweitzer."
• 2065 - Karl Brackhaven, Kenneth's uncle and head of the Seattle branch of the Humanis Policlub, passes away. Kenneth quietly puts in a proxy leader, one clean enough to keep Kenneth's name out of things. Ties to Alamos 20,000 and the Human Nation terrorist organizations are hidden even deeper.
• 2069 - The Olympic Organizing Committee confirms Seattle for the 2076 Summer Olympic Games.
• 2069 onward - Brackhaven Investments, through many, many shell companies, begins buying official titles throughout Seattle, but focusing on the Redmond Barrens.
• 2069 onward - Totally unrelated, the CCFS's, Humanis, Ministry of Mankind and other policlubs and religious groups trumpet "Jobs for Seattle" campaigns, tying the Olympics with construction and hospitality jobs. Support for the Olympic movement grows.
• 2069 - Crowning the Prince of Darkness Phase. Kenneth Brackhaven joins the Republican party, leaving the Archconservative party. 
• 2070-He defeats UCAS Ellen Danquist in the Republican Primaries for the Seattle Gubernatorial Republican ticket.
• 2070 - Kenneth Brackhaven wins election for Seattle Governor, during a heated election full of dirty tricks and shadowruns.
• 2070 - 
• 2071 - Governor Brackhaven replaces the Director of the Seattle Olympic Organizing Committee (SOOC) with William Roper. Firms throughout Seattle scramble to get on (or stay on) a new "Approved Vendors" list.
• 2071 - The SOOC Director releases amended list of approved firms and construction sites for the Olympics. Additionally, many properties in Redmond are purchased by the Metroplex.
• 2071 - Unemployment drops 2% in Seattle. While many policlubs champion this metric, KSAF and others notice the discrepancies between employment numbers for humans (a huge drop) and those for metahumans and immigrants.
• 2071 - Various shell companies start construction of  "Temporary Citizen Housing" (TCH's) in Snohomish and outer Everett. Additionally, the Metagenics Research Consortium opens a research facility in Snohomish.
• 2071 - Governor Brackhaven announces Redmond Reclamation Project", highlighting upgrades to property and infrastructure, and many jobs the Project will bring to the Metroplex.
• 2072 - Roger Soaring Owl resigns as CEO of Knight Errant.
• 2072 - Governor Brackhaven replaces Lone Star's policing contract and brings in Knight Errant. Bounties on Redmond Ghouls peg out at 500 nuyen.
• 2072 onward - Knight Errant "escorts" Barrens residents to Snohomish TCH's.
• 2072 - Various grass-roots groups protest the TCH's and the transportation of citizens. The Brackhaven administration counters with ads of happy citizens excited about better housing and jobs involving the Olympics.
• 2073 - February 7th - Seattle's annual Night of Rage rally turns violent as unprecedented numbers turn out to protest. 12 people, including a Knight Errant officer are killed, and hundreds hurt as bricks, bottle and tear gas fly.
• 2073 - The Razing of Redmond. 17 People are injured when a building collapses on an Olympic construction site. The SOOC condemns the loss of life, but notes that the original residents had been moved out of the building 34 days before. None of the dead have SINs, and 14 are metahumans. Protests of the "Redmond Reclamation Project" begin in earnest, with picketers at construction sites and outside SOOC headquarters and Seattle city hall. Push back by Humanis and others. KSAF and other news media make note of "Shock Squads" using high-end weaponry against gang members of the Crimson Crush in the Redmond Barrens.
• 2073 - Salish-Shidhe protests incidents with armed teams along northern Seattle border.
• 2074 - Night of Rage II Phase. MoM denounces TCH's "as nothing more than concentration camps..."
• 2074 - February 7th - This year's Night of Rage Remembrance Rally is even more brutal. Knight Errant turns out in force, but 46 are killed when a magician releases several spirits upon the crowd. Both KE and protesters blame the other, but no arrests are made. MoM cautions for peace, but asks why is is no progress on the "Spirit Slaughterer". ORC also asks for calm, but the SOS denounces both KE and the Brackhaven administration. "Spirit Slaughterer" graffiti starts appearing around Seattle.
• 2074 - Construction accidents on Olympics sites grow to Qatar World Cup levels. KSAF and MoM note that immigrant and metahuman workers make up over 70% of all killed, and 65% of wounded, and 85% of all hospitalized. Both call for review of Olympic labor. The Governor responds by implying that both groups lack the education for the jobs they hold, and that is the reason for higher injury/death rates. Various policlubs flood media, accusing KSAF and MoM as unpatriotic and anti-labor.
• 2075 - February 5th - Governor Brackhaven declares martial law for the next 4 days and mobilizes the Metroplex Guard on the night of the 6th. However, the Barrens is left open, and only a coalition of the Crimson Crush, the 162's, and the Rusted Stilettos(!), along with Barrens residents stops the Plastic Gardens from burning down.
• 2075 - The Sons of Sauron torch an Olympic construction site in Redmond Barrens. The Governor, Knight Errant Chief of Station and various civil and political organizations denounce the act as terrorism. Attacks, verbal and physical, on metahumans mount. Governor Brackhaven openly discusses mobilizing the Metroplex Guard to protect construction sites. "The activities of these thugs cannot be tolerated. They seek to besmirch all Seattleites. But we will not bow down. We will not give in to their insidious threats. Rise up Seattle, and show the world what
• 2075 - November 1st - The Desolation Angels engage in strike upon the Frank T. Black TCH. Rumors abound that the TCH has been taken over by insect spirits. 4 days later a Red Cross investigation lodges a protest, as over 40% of the original inhabitants are gone...
• 2075- Now...

Whetted your appetite? In Parts 3 and more, we will discuss how your crew fits into all of this.

10 in Ten - The Olympics Bluebacks Edition

Hershe - "Oh, yeah? A million greenbacks? I got 10 million of them in the next room."

Snake - "Un-uh. Bluebacks."

Hershe - "Oh, come on, Snake."

Snake - "Bluebacks. I swear to God..." - Snake Plissken negotiating with Hershe Las Palmas, Escape from LA

So several members of the ShadowGrid forums have been talking about the upcoming 2076 Seattle Summer Olympics, especially Geekman047. With that in mind, Mr. Black presents the following 10 in Ten - The Olympics Bluebacks Edition. This 10 in Ten is a little looser than normal, more of a primer of ideas as opposed to 10 concrete ideas. Mr. Black will be blogging more about the evil of these Olympics, but thought you GM's could all use something more "generic". And all of these ideas can be used along side the Horror of the 2076 Olympics. So use, abuse, and enjoy. And make sure you get paid in Bluebacks, not that Seattle Olympic Committee Greenback script.

1. Drug testing is always a part of the Olympics. Whether Mr. Johnson wants you to plant a tainted sample (to disqualify another athlete), plant a pure but counterfeit sample (to protect his athlete from being exposed for a drug cheat), or just corrupt/rig the drug testing equipment itself (hack your way in and then do either or both!), you are sure to be handling piss and/or blood this summer. Just be careful who pees in the bottle; for some runners taking drugs is more than a lifestyle-it is a job require. Part of said drug testing is the actual taking of drugs. Whether the Crew gets drugs for his client, or to plant drugs on/in his client's competition is up to you and Mr. Johnson. Actual performance enhancers (like Bliss, Cram, Jazz, Kamikaze, steroids, etc.,) and dubious performance enhancers (like weed, coffee, etc,) are all on the menu. Heck, just spiking an athlete's cola with extra caffeine could be enough get them disqualified. Can the crew smuggle in some Mega-Jolt Super-Caff soda, disguised in Omega Fizz cans? Or alter all the soda dispensers to switch to Mega-Jolt as needed? The last will require work on the dispensers and keeping 24-hour watch on them; a good job for a hacker heavy Crew.
2. Your Crew may be doing so many drug runs that they threaten to quit. "That's 20 runs on the testing facility in 3 days! We need a break!" Which will impact their Street Cred of course. And maybe more. Mr. Johnson, desperate for one more medalist, decides that blackmail/extortion is the way to go. He doesn't care about repercussions, as he will be out of North America in a day or so. And if the Crew decides to hunt him down in whatever piss-hole Eastern European Bloc country/African hell-hole/Middle Eastern waste-war-land he is hiding in, then you just got two Runs for the price of one. And the extra one involves international travel and a whole new hyper-corrupt landscape.
3. Depending on what year it is in your game will dictate the amount of construction that is taking place. The OOC usually nominates the winning city 8 years ahead of time to allow time for planning and financing all that construction. So you can have your Crew do runs involving construction plots from about 2069 onward. Putting pressure on bidding firms to drop out of said bidding (classic extortion/blackmail here, nothing fancy), conducting runs on their construction sites to make them look disreputable (destroying work so it can't be done on time), altering construction materials to make them weaker (Concrete is key here. What do the runners care about how many people die when the building collapses?**), falsifying work documents to show the firm's racial make-up isn't up to snuff to qualify for government work (not enough metahumans for UCAS regulations, or too many metahumans for Kennie's Big Plans), organizing demonstrations outside of current projects to make firms look bad, there is lots of work for Crews. And all these different types of jobs allow work based on the Crew's skills, a big bonus for GM's.
4. Mr. Johnson has a problem. His client never thought he would get the bid for constructing the Paul Schell Badminton Facility*. The client's bid was waaay under the others, and now he is running out of money to continue. So Mr. Johnson wants a simple arson, one that will pass an arson investigation. His client hopes to collect the insurance money and then bow out. You know, if the Runners don't blackmail him first...
5. Just as the 2016 Rio Olympics resulted in a toxic waste site/sailing venue, and the Sydney Olympics before them, the hurried state of construction is sure to do the same in Seattle. And where you find toxic sites, you find toxic spirits, and toxic shamans. And now Mr. Johnson needs you to clear the Harry White Soccer Grounds* of such a shaman. The Grounds are huge, with 3 full-sized pitches being built. The crew is on a clock, as the Seattle Olympic Committee is sending an inspection team to the site to check on the progress. And this all needs to be kept quiet, big explosions and running street fights are out. Publicity of such an event would cost millions...
6. Or maybe the city just gives in. And the Crew gets hired as one of many off-the-book teams to keep an eye out for pissed of toxic spirits. Too bad they got hired to sit on a boat in Lake Washington and patrol the sailboat races. Mr. Black knows he hates facing angry water spirits while sitting in the water. Or worse, they could be watching the rowing events (those little boats splinter quickly, hard to save those folks, and there goes the bonus money!) or kayaking events (pissed off toxic spirits AND white water rafting? Sounds like fun, right?)
7. While the UCAS national team is guaranteed a spot in the Soccer competition, spots on the team have to be earned. Or bought. Mr. Johnson needs the Crew to thin down the competition for his client. This may take several runs, injuring some athletes, buying out others, and smearing the rest (drug use is a good way to go.) The Crew has to be careful, as key players are still needed so that the team doesn't suck. The client is looking for a medal, not just participation. Mr. Johnson is looking at bench players here. But mistakes happen, and they may lead to bitter repercussions...
8. The previous run idea could be applied to any of the lesser team sports (field hockey, volley ball, etc.) However Basketball is big time. While the UCAS team is not what it once was (with the UCAS losing much of it's territory and all) it is still a favorite for a medal. And lots of star power in this sport.So trying to manipulate the roster is going to be "Win Big/Lose Big". Either the players succeed and get a huge payout, or they screw it up and get found out nationally. You can bet the teams of the players they messed over will want revenge, not to mention the very rich players themselves, and possibly the Players Union. Hell, if they hurt the wrong players the Mafia will come after them for screwing up the betting odds...
9. Becoming an officer of the Seattle Olympic Committee is quite the resume-maker. One is sure to get amazing job offers from any of the Big Ten; some will want the ex-officer just for publicity reasons. So getting appointed is quite the hurdle. Thus Mr. Johnson needs to make his client sparkle so that a contender looks dirty. The Crew will need to find some dirt or just plain make some up. If you are running Kennie's Big Plans, just being anti-Humanis may be enough. Unless he needs a "token" on the Committee, that is.
10. Anytime world-class sporting events are held in Western countries, someone is sure to seek asylum. And the Olympics are no exception. Generally the athletes just walk out into the street and ask for it. However this extraction is semi-Hostile; the target wants out but their country is against it, and is providing extra security for it's athletes and staff. Compounding the extraction is Knight Errant's on-site security; they are the security providers for the Seattle Olympics (why do you think the Brackhaven administration choose them? Kennie gets two jobs for the price of one...) And current Olympic security is no joke. The threat of terrorism is higher than ever, making the Olympic Village extremely well-guarded. And the stadiums are no joke either. They are sure to have intrusive searches and sensors at the entrances. Can the crew grab the athlete and get him/her to a UCAS government building all while dodging foreign security teams and Knight Errant? Need to step this up a peg? Make the country Lagos and the athlete a Ghoul to increase the moral dilemmas for your players and Crew.

*All facilities described here are named after Seattle mayors, as found here.
**Causing guilt among your players (after the building they altered concrete collapses, killing hundreds of innocent women and children) is just pure bonus fun! You can decide what to do with the character with the Street Samurai Honor Code....

Seattle Olympics 2076 - Hell on Earth, Part 1

"You tell them I'm coming, and Hell's coming with me, you hear? Hell's coming with me!" - Wyatt Earp, Tombstone.

Looking for a grand theme to hang your campaign on? One that has the feel of those great and terrible revelations from the 1st/2nd Edition days (you know, Universal Brotherhood, Threats, Atzlan blood magic, etc.,) but is up to date, current (2070-ish) and unknown to your players (as long as they aren't reading this!)? Then sit down, grab some soycaf, and prepare to challenge your players. Because the Seattle Olympics are coming to town, and Hell is coming with them.

While Hell is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about the Olympics (bad mascots, rampant bribery, and rampant Jingoism are, however.) But there is something darker at the heart of the 2076 Olympics. Darker than bankrupting Third World countries in the name of social progress and a world stage. Darker than unknowingly taking transgenic drugs falsely prescribed as "vitamin supplements" in the belief they will gain you two-tenths of a second. Darker than "amateur" athletes being genetically modified and abused since they were 3-year-olds.We are talking about human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!

But let's start slow. Facility construction is where this all starts. Depending on what year it is in your game will dictate the amount of construction that is taking place. The OOC usually nominates the winning city 15 years ahead of time to allow time for planning and financing all that construction. And depending on who is your Governor (currently and officially that Arch-Conservative, arch-racist, Kenneth Brackhaven, CEO and COB of Brackhaven Investments) will dictate how much corruption, civil unrest and how dystopian this period goes. In a city like Seattle, there is not a lot of desirable land just sitting around to build stadiums on. So where is all going? Puyallup? Maybe for indoor sports, but all that ash and lava fall won't do it for outdoor endeavors. That leaves us with parts of Tacoma and Renton, Snohomish and the Barrens. Yes, the Barrens. Where else is a cold-hearted slitch like Kennie Brackhaven going to steal enough land to build on, all while skimming millions off the top? And you know that bastinge is doing just that, all behind a tightly woven web of shell companies. Heck, he probably decided to run for Governor to help with all that land he bought on the DL, and no one is the wiser. And no one votes in the Barrens. Heck they ain't even citizens! This will make the displacement of all those undesirables so much easier politically, and make the Razing of Chavez Ravine look like a cake walk.

Is that KSAF down on the right?

Or not. Depending on the GM's needs, those SINless hordes may go quietly to "temporary internment camps", or they may rise up and fight. It will start with simple unrest, become demonstrations against construction sites, and then riots when the displacement teams come to usher the soon-to-be homeless out. It can then grow to full-blown insurrection. Which was probably Kennie's evil plan all along. Buy the land through proxies using his company's money. Work with Uncle Karl (Kennie's Uncle Karl Brackhaven is the head of the Seattle branch of Humanis. See where this is going?) to promote a "Jobs for Seattleites" political campaign to get the Humans on board. Sell said land to Seattle, guided by his political muscle and title. Throw the SINless (and non-human) off that land and into concentration camps. When said less-than-humans fight back, use it to show how inhuman, uncivilized and dangerous they are, allowing Kennie to throw even more into concentration camps, all against the backdrop of "Saving the Olympics" from the barbarians. And skim lots of money from building permits, construction bids, and every other kind of dirty financial trick he can. Cause someone has to live rich and fund Humanis.

The Seattle Metroplex Guard escort former Barrens inhabitants to "Temporary Housing Facilities"

Whether this is all Battle of Chavez Ravine levels, Rodney King riots level, or Warsaw vs the Nazis level of all-out genocidal racial war, is all up to the GM and how bad/dystopian he wants it to be. And this can be very, very dark. Kicked out of your home, forced into a concentration camp, but taking the only job you can find, 16 hours-a-day of hard, physical construction work in the "company store" building structures you will never be allowed to see, let alone allowed to enter, sorts of dark. This can be "build the death camps you are sentenced to" kind of dark. And only the Crew stands between Brackhaven and the Seattle Olympic Holocaust. Can the Crew expose Kennie's web of lies? Can they break the silence and drag Kennie, Brackhaven Investments, and good old Uncle Karl into the gutter, where they belong? And do it while dodging ghoul hunting packs, angry street riots, volatile gangs, Humanis goon squads, Seattle Metroplex Guard peacekeepers/riot breakers, and Kennie's shadowy hit squads? Good luck, chummer, good luck.

10 in Ten, The Rigger Triumphant Edition

One of the members over at the ShadowGrid forums, captduck, asked for help with giving his player's Rigger character more to do. After offering some suggestions, Mr. Black gave it some long thought. The problem was not so much about what else the character could do, but that most GM's and players tend to pigeonhole the Rigger into not much more than a glorified chauffeur. (Mr.Black knows, he has done it too!) This is very wrong, but may require a paradigm shift for most players and GM's. Really, we GM's should try Runs where different members of the Crew get to shine, especially the Rigger. The trick is to make the Rigger the reason the Run is going on-he needs to drive something away for Mr. Johnson. As a starting point Mr. Black offers the following 10-in-Ten, the Rigger Triumphant Edition, to help push that gear-shift. Enjoy, and use at your Rigger's grace and your Crew's peril.

1. Let's start simple. The Crew needs to get into a very tall building. From the top. Perhaps the elevators don't go all the way to the roof, or maybe the top 30 floors are not accessible by Wi-Fi. And the other 100 floors are a bitch of a security nightmare. Whatever. Time for the Crew to get out of the Van, and into a helicopter, which our poor benighted Rigger gets to drive. And maybe fire machinegun shots into those top 30 floors. And then make a high speed aerial chase across the skies of Seattle. Bring extra shenanigans by having the Crew make an high-speed emergency evac off that roof. You know the one, where that last member of the crew has to make a jump off the 130th floor onto a skid or a dangling rope. Don't make it to hard for the jumpee; you want him dangling when the chase starts. You know, for that extra-cinematic feel. And the grin on your face as the Crew's spends all their Edge to keep him from falling off...
2. Mr. Johnson wants the Crew to recover a large shipment. It is loaded on 3 freight cars, and Mr. Johnson wants the Crew to steal the whole train. Which is where the Rigger comes in. While the Hacker goes in and changes the routing, the Rigger is going to play engineer! Again, someone else will have to drive the Van. The rest of the Crew can provide security, and really, who doesn't want to have a fight on top of a train?
3. One of the Big Ten has a new prototype. Only this time it is not some little piece of electronics. It is a frakkin' tank (or a Riot Control Vehicle, or an APC. Something big, armored and armed.) And Mr. Johnson wants it driven to the Swap point. Try Ash City/Glow City, or maybe the stolen train above. Anyways, the Crew needs to get into the testing grounds, get the Rigger into it (only Riggers can drive this advanced prototype), and then jander off into the night. And somebody else will have to drive the Van this time; hope somebody has Pilot: Ground Vehicles above Rating 1. Oh, and throw in an awesome chase, perhaps with attack helicopters firing AP missiles, and lots of car crunching fun.
4. Try the above Run differently. Mr. Johnson is perhaps a collector of expensive, high-speed automobiles. And one of the major corporations is testing their new prototype $500,000+ sports car. Once again, the Crew needs to get into the testing facility and have the Rigger drive it away. Which should lead to a high-speed, high octane (should that be high ozone in 2075?) chase across the city. Channel all your Fast 'n' Furious 1-7 into this; stealth should not be an option. Heck, go super-stupid and have the Crew helo insert into the top of the above Very Tall Building and then go full Furious 7 on them! If you are wizzer lucky, then maybe the rest of the Crew will also be able to drive and have some fast vehicles. 'Cause that stodgy Van just won't be able to keep up this time. For extra shenanigans, ensure Mr. Johnson puts a "no damage" clause in the contract.
5. You could change up #4 by making Mr. Johnson a very vindictive person, who has a beef with Jackson Pedley. Seems Ol' Jackson should have paid his gambling debts/kept his hands off someones wife/etc. And Jackson is driving the Number 37 Omega Fizz car in the Seattle 300 this weekend. And Mr. Johnson wants that number 37 car retrieved during the race on national TV. Once again, make sure there is a big chase, lots of fireworks, and lots of embarrassment for Ol' Jackson.
6. Mr. Johnson needs a job done on Lake Washington. The bottom of Lake Washington. Seems he lost a clandestine shipment on a boat that sunk and he wants the Crew to recover it. Whether they use a mini submarine or a Lamprey is up to you and your Rigger. The rest of the crew will probably need to take scuba lessons, a good way to get them to spend Karma on something other than guns, spells, and Matrixy stuff. Need to add shenanigans? Toss in pirates or sea-beasties. Better yet, throw in a rival Crew and recreate the end of Thunderball. Hell, go all out and make them a HTR team that parachutes in. You can amp up the fun by having Mr. Johnson work for one of the OCO's (Organized Crime Organization) and the shipment, well, drugs and let you players take a walk on the Dark Side.
7. And why fight on top of a train when you can fight on top of a high speed monorail? Think Wolverine or Mission Impossible: I. Mr. Johnson wants a diplomatic extraction (or Elimination!) on the LA to Seattle monorail. Once again our Rigger takes center stage and hijacks the monorail while the crew goes to work. Or reverse MI:1 this, and have the Rigger drop the team on the train. If you thought have a Crew member jump off a 130-story building was crazy, deploying on top of an object going 200+ miles per hour is even more nuts.
8. Nothing says alternate history like a Zeppelin. Just ask Kenneth Hite. Or these. So it is now time for your Crew to join the future and hijack a Zeppelin. Perhaps there is an item in the hold, or a person that must be extracted, but whatever it is, there is not enough time to get on, grab it/him/her, and get off. Just enough time to get aboard and then start doing Legwork. Oh sure, the crew could just wait for it to land, but that item is too big to just walk with, or the target is too well protected, or more likely, the original destination is someplace the Crew definitely doesn't want to be. So hijacking is the better option. Now the Rigger has to engage in a low speed chase, and maybe fire some ordnance,  all while the rest of the Crew sits around monitoring the hostages and babysitting the MacGuffin. And make sure the Crew channels their inner Archer!
9. Mr. Johnson desires protection. Oh, and an escorted trip to the western shore of Salish lands. Has a place to be, and people to meet. Nothing more than a day trip, he says. Well, in a regular boat, and it must be a boat to stay off of radar, it is a day or 2 trip. Which is why Mr. Johnson has acquired the services of a high-speed weaponized boat. Maybe it is just super-high performance cigarette boat (Think Black Lagoon), maybe it is a hydrofoil. But it will take a Rigger with nerves of steel to drive Mr. Johnson out to that shore, cutting through all the little islands in Puget Sound, in the dark and/or fog, while staying out of the reach of Salish patrol boats/helicopters, startled smugglers, large sea beasties, and the guards at all those strange, unknown, uncharted research facilities the Big Ten have hiding out there. Good luck and good sailing!
10. While we have talked about many many large vehicles, maybe it is time for the Rigger to go small. Like flying ultralights into facilities. Or racing motorcycles through Seattle. Or scooting Jackrabbits through the sewers loaded with gold. Or cutting through the woods in ATV's or those armed dune buggy things special forces love so much. Something small enough that the entire Crew can't fit in, so the Rigger-driven vehicle is the Alpha vehicle, and the rest of the Crew is another vehicle praying and spending Edge to keep up with him. Let him be the star for the night, so he doesn't go suicidal the next time he just sits in the Van.

So to repeat, make the Rigger the reason for the run, or give him more to do than wait in the Van again. Give him a chance to shine, and make him the star of the Run every now and then. Even if your Crew decides not to hijack the MacGuffin in say #3, maybe using a cargo helicopter to steal the tank, the Rigger is still doing the heavy lifting. And you may get lucky and have the rest of the Crew riding on the back of a tank dangling from a cargo helicopter 500 meters above the ground, all while a small attack wing of Wasps/large attack wing of drones show up and start spraying everyone down. Now go and enjoy!

20+ Questions for GM's

It is all well and good that the players answer 20 questions about their characters. But what about the GM? Inspired by Dandy in the Underworld and the work he did on his Galbaruc campaign, Mr. Black copied/created a similar set of questions for his Shadowrun campaign. These are intended to help players new to Shadowrun adjust to the milieu, and to help old hands grasp changes and what is different. Below you can find the questions and their answers. Mr. Black challenges you to answer a set of questions for your players...  

1. Who are our characters? Your characters are “entry-level” Shadowrunners. Your character has been doing street-level work, gaining experience and a modest rep. He or she has now come to the attention of Big Mack, a Fixer of some renown.
2. What is a Fixer? A “Fixer” is a broker for those in the Shadows. He or She finds you work, and can find almost anything else you need in the Shadows, for a price. For jobs, your employer (traditionally called “Mr. Johnson”, regardless of sex or race) pays the Fixers cut. Your character will pay the cut for anything else you need.
3. What will our characters be doing? The job of Shadowrunners! A Shadowrunner is an independent, free-lance mercenary who generally does acts of Corporate Espionage for both the Major Corporations, and for smaller but still powerful organizations. Your Fixer will set your characters up with Mr. Johnson’s who have jobs. You and the other players will have to figure out how to do that job (i.e., Come Up With A Plan), taking into account everything you can find out about your targets and principals (AKA Legwork), yourselves. Think about every caper film or TV show you have ever seen. Occasionally you will take jobs that pay little-to-nothing but help out the downtrodden. Other times you will do jobs that pay little-to-nothing but give your character the piece of mind that only bloody revenge always gives.
4. Corporate Espionage? That sounds boring. If this was 2014 mundane corporate espionage, I might agree. But in magical 2075, major Corporations (and that capital “C” is intended) have the power and reach of first-world nations of 2014. These Corporations do not wish to go to War (again with the capital letters) and thus a Cold War of sorts is ongoing. Really a Shadow War. Those employers are looking for acts as hard and violent as any that took place in Russo-American Cold War of the last century. Kidnappings, acts of destruction, theft of information and assets, assassinations and are all jobs Shadowrunners are hired for.
5. Where on Earth is the campaign taking place? The campaign takes place in Seattle, the Berlin/Lisbon of 2075. (That is to say, the urban espionage capital!) The only part of the United Canadian American States that touches the West Coast (and does business on the Pacific Ocean), Seattle is surrounded on all sides by enemy nations, and inhabited by every major player/power in the changed world. Seattle offers divers employment opportunities unavailable elsewhere. The levels of espionage and conspiracy in Seattle are truly Byzantine.
6. What are the important parts of Seattle? All of the districts in Seattle are important. However, 5 parts stand out. Downtown Seattle is a glimmering beast, home to almost all of the Big Ten, including the Renraku Arcology and Aztechnology’s Pyramid. Bellevue is home to the rich, where a studio apartment will set your back $10,000 a month. Redmond Barrens and Puyallup both live up to their reputations. Not even Knight Errant has made a dent in Redmond, and gangs and ghoul rule the roost there. And Puyallup is not much better, full of pollution, radiation and volcanic ash falls. Lastly is Snohomish, which is really farm country. Yes, Seattle has dairy farms. Seattle also has a huge port facility, the largest on the West Coast, and a major military base, Fort Lewis.
7. Where does my character live? That depends on your lifestyle. Living a Luxury lifestyle? Then probably in Downtown or Bellevue. Both of those also accommodate High, though that is a bit gauche for Bellevue. Everett also has a lot of High rollers, but Middle too. Tacoma, Renton, Auburn and Snohomish are all solid Middle lifestyle districts, with some Low areas. Puyallup is pretty much all Low, and Redmond is (in)famously a Z-Zone.
8. Who are the major players in Seattle? First there is the Big Ten, the most powerful Mega-Corporations. Each has a presence in Seattle, but none like Renraku and its Arcology or Aztechnology and its pyramid. Next is the Government; City, District, and National. That includes the Army down at Fort Lewis and the Navy up in Everett. After that are probably the criminal syndicates. The Mafia, Yakuza, Triads, Vory, Seuolpa Rings, and Koshari all vie for power alongside the Ancients and Halloweeners go-gangs.
9. What Religions are there? Can my character be a priest/cleric? Firstly, your character totally could be a priest or cleric. But there is no divine magick in Shadowrun. So unless you take a religious organization as a Contact/Dependant, it won’t mean much. As for religions, all of the major faith groups of the mundane now are still active in 2075, though most have taken a kicking because of the return of Magick. It is hard to stay faithful when your church believes you are going to Hell because you were born with the ability to handle Magick, or born an orc or troll. There are many, many more religions in 2075. Pick one, or not. Or go a little crazy and create your own. Just don’t expect any parishioners.
10. Where do we go to buy things? Well, just as today, you could visit stores, malls or the Renraku Arcology for most everyday things. For other items, your Fixer can get you most things or put you in touch with someone who can get what you need. You character can also have “Contacts”. These are non-player characters that are known to your character and can get him/her items and/or information.
11. Who is the most powerful Mage/Shaman in Seattle? This is a matter of some conjecture and debate. The Master of the Yellow Lotus Triad (the Chinese Mafia) is rumored to be a warlock of intense power and darkness. Both the Shiawase and Wuxing Corporations are known to have advanced Magi in their employ. The University of Washington is on the forefront of magical research, and many Magi are among their faculty. And the Angel of Seattle is certainly an extremely powerful mage. On the Adept front, the Triads again have many, many powerful Adepts. And the Shadowrunner known as Lobo Verde has been making a name for himself. However, many would go with Tyonicus “Thunder” Jackson, power center of Seattle’s own Sonic Booms Full Contact Basketball League. His electrifying and fully electric dunks have changed the FCBL forever.
12. Who is the most powerful Street Samurai in Seattle? This is also a matter of some conjecture and debate. However, most consider the legendary Mr. Black has the lead for this title. He is rumored to have run the Shadows of Seattle for over 20 years. His infamous execution of General Saito, ex-dictator of San Francisco, is one of the highest streamed sim ever on MeTube™. It is said he has killed dragons, brought down Corporations, influenced elections, altered crime families, that he has never missed a shot, and is the only true living Master of Mono-Manriki-Jutsu. Crazier stories say he assassinated Dunkelzahn and destroyed the Tir Council of Princes. Who knows? What everyone knows is that you don’t want him hunting you, and if it has gone bad, dealing with dragons bad, you want him backing you up. That is, of course, assuming you believe he exists/is still alive.
13. Who is the Drek-Hottest Decker in Seattle? Assuming we are excluding AI’s, the Decker MeTube Meme may be the best. Leader of the Honey Badgers, he has been tearing up Seattle’s Grid. Those of a sentimental mind might go with Bull, an Ork Decker who was a contemporary of Mr. Black. Others look towards Charles Boufante, a young Decker rumored to live in the basement of Elliot Bay Book Company, living off of bags of McHugh’s™ Cheez-a-lots™ donated by older, less-talented hackers. His icon is a cartoonish nerdy looking kid with huge glasses. Too many Matrix security professionals spend their times removing his Cheez-a-lots™ wrapper Marks off their nodes.
14. Who is the best Shadowrunners in Seattle? Again, a lot of conjecture and debate. But ShadowSEA helps to pin things down. Some will say the Redmounts. They recently extradited a scientist from a Mitsuhama Zero-Zone, without any team casualties. Others go with the Honey Badgers, a drek-hot group led by the Decker MeTube Meme. The newer team Nuyen Hot, led by Lobo Verde himself has many thinking he may lead it to the top. But most say the Devil Rats, an old school runner crew hiding out in the Barrens are Seattle’s top Team.
15. Who is the richest being in Seattle? Some might say it is Kenneth Brackhaven, ex-Mayor of Seattle and arch-racist. Others believe it is Sean Telestrian, the local head of Telestrian Industries and scion of the wealthy Telestrian family of Tir Tairngire. But the smart money is on the AI Glittergulch. He (She? It?) made its play during Crash 2.0 and has never looked back.
16. Where can I get healed? Well, 2075 Seattle has hospitals, so you could go there. But you would need money upfront or good insurance, and a good SIN, fake or otherwise. A Doc Wagon™ or Crash Cart™ (among others) contract rated Gold or higher would suffice. Otherwise a good street doc is needed. There are many small 24-hour clinics to choose from. For magical healing you would need a Platinum-rated Doc Wagon contract. Or one could visit the Bear Doctor Society on Council Island, on NAN land.
17. Where can I find experts/information? Your Fixer is your first stop. Otherwise try asking appropriate Contacts. But just as in our Fifth World, your Contacts can lead you to masters of esoteric subjects. Or just Google it.
18. Where can I hire mercenaries? There are many professional mercenary companies one could hire, such as HardLine, MET2000, Tsunami, 10,000 Daggers or Black Star. If you are looking for just a couple of guys for back up, try your Fixer. He could certainly rustle up some muscle.
19. Are there places where weapons are prohibited? What about magic? Anything else about Johan Law I should know about? Most businesses and government buildings prohibit weapons. Many will allow a light pistol, but most will turn you away if you are packing anything bigger. Egress into such buildings comes with metal detectors and chem-sniffers. A bulletproof Plexiglas box will lock you in while the guards check you for weapons/explosives (including ammo)/unauthorized cyberware. Magic requires a legal permit, and is thus prohibited everywhere without the proper paperwork. The Renraku Arcology Shopping Plaza restricts ALL weapons, and therefore is very popular with parents. It is also popular with Mr. Johnson’s for the same reason. On the streets, light handguns and some level of body armor are expected, as Seattle can be a rough town. But carrying heavier weapons will get you cop attention, even if you have (fake) permits. And do you want to test the limits of your fake SIN over an assault rifle?
20. What monsters are terrorizing Seattle that I would become renowned for slaying? Toxic and Insect spirit killing is always a path to fame. And if one claimed enough ghoul bounties or devil rat pelts, I am sure some sort of fame/infamy would be warranted. However, it is people that are the most lucrative target in the Sixth World. It is well known that Shiawase has a multi-million nuyen bounty on Mr. Black. Many corporations and less savory organizations want a piece of Chucky Boufante and are willing to pay for it. The trideo hounds would pay major nuyen for hard data on the Angel of Seattle. One could always go low rent and troll Knight Errant’s Bounty Boards™. Or you could go through Dunkelzahn’s Will. Word is that the Room 1835 has not been claimed, among others.
21. Are there any wars I could go fight? There is a semi-Hot War in Bogotá between Aztlan and Amazonia. And the international military testing ground called Desert Wars is always looking for recruits. But neither of these is local. Around Seattle, the OCO’s (organized crime organizations) are pushing for war. To the East and North of Seattle the NAN nations have an uneasy peace going.
22. Are there any secret societies with sinister objectives I could join? The very nature of such organizations means your character would be aware of them only once their actions affect the character directly. If you survive such an encounter, you could try joining them. That is if they haven’t forced you into subservience through dark ritual pacts, hoodoo-VITAS infection, blood sample storage, or vampiric pawn induction.
23. Are there any dragons or super-monsters nearby? The closest Dragon would be Hestaby, Queen of Shasta Mountain. That is in southern Tir Tairngire, far from Seattle. Or maybe the Sea Dragon, if she is visiting. If you are looking to hit their lairs for the score of a lifetime, you better bring an army. Like the entire UCAS military, plus Aztlan’s, and maybe a few more. Good luck with that, chummer.
24. Is there any special guild or society my Magus character could join to learn more magic/initiate? The fore-mentioned Bear Doctor Society and the Hermetic Order of the Auric Aurora have semi-open enrollments. Assuming your want your name and address on their rolls of course. But you could wine and dine your Talismonger contact, and she might come up with something.

10 in Ten - the Magical Edition

While going through the ShadowGrid forums, poster Pariah3J asked for some ideas for magic-based runs. Mr. Black threw some together very quickly and then thought,"Hmm, this could be a good for a series of regular columns." So he did one. The idea is 10 run ideas in a very quick format, no stats or numbers, just enough to get a GM going, and easy to drop into a game. So here is the first one. And thanks Pariah3J, for the push.

1. The Mage’s Talismonger is having trouble getting supplies. He asks the Mage if he and his “friends” would mind riding shotgun on a smuggling transfer of much-needed reagents, telesma and such over on the Seattle-Salish border. Magical eco-terrorists/NAN Rangers decide to stop the transfer, and shenanigans ensue.
2. A scholarly mage desires to recover reagents for study from a location full of magical badness such as a mass murder site or some other nasty event leaving an astral scar. He wants the Crew to protect him while doing this. He is a scholar, not a fighter, and somewhat absent minded (or is he?!?). Spirits show up and shenanigans ensue.
3. Lou (or Selena) of Lou’s Tattoos in Downtown Seattle needs a certain telesma for his magical tattoo ink. He contacts the Crew to get him some. It involves gathering a particular type of kelp out in Puget Sound. The area, close to NAN lands, is home to water spirits, selkies and other magical water creatures, not to mention other kelp gatherers and corporate goons looking for the same/hunting the gatherers, and ever-present danger of Salish Coast Patrol boats.
4. Someone or something is haunting/disrupting the 5^th Avenue Theatre’s production of “Waiting for Jet Black”, and it is definitely magical in nature. The Crew is hired to find out what is going on and end it. Tracking magical auras and astral signatures of spell aftermaths. Is it (once again) spirits? Is it a disgruntled mage? Is it an insurance scam? A magical gang looking for shakedown money? A producer looking for free publicity? The Crew will have to work quickly to find out, as the curtain goes up in just four days, and famous actor Bywythe Merriweather is making his Seattle premier…
5. A friend of a friend has a problem. Her dairy farm in Snohomish is having strange problems with the cows. They are not giving any milk, and the vet can’t find a reason. The farmer’s daughter (she’s 8, get your mind out of the gutter!) has been talking to her imaginary friends in the woods though. Is there something to it? Spirits? Or maybe some Fae/pixies have taken up house nearby. Can the Mage negotiate a truce? Not much of a payday, unless you like fresh milk and cookies.
6. Mr. Johnson calls. He is trying a power play at his Corp and wants a rival’s artwork stolen. However the piece in question is magical. And it will take a Mage with forgery and artisan skills to leave a duplicate. Or not. Perhaps the Crew will keep the piece; it is worth quite a bit (like more than YOU will pay them in a year). If they do, others will want it. Now they have a vindictive Mr. Johnson, a vindictive victim, and several opposing Crews after them, not including the Corp and various OCO’s looking for their cut (their cut being all of it unless the Crew has very good connections in the OCO, it which case it is 60%).
7. There is something on the loose down in the sewers-a Protean is loose, and someone with Astral Perception is needed to hunt it. A city official (cop, government worker, politician, garbage man, etc,) is calling in a favor, before word gets out of a shape-changing magical serial killer that strikes out of the toilet gets around. Trudging through narrow, water- (and diseased)-filled tunnels single-file in the pitch-dark should be good for a laugh. Throw in the fact that the Crew can’t trust their eyes down there and shenanigans should ensue. Think John Carpenter’s The Thing in sewers rather than the snow.
8. Not quite ready for the above? Try it with Firedrakes, Afancs, Incubui, Icedrakes, or any other beastie you like. Perhaps a tribe of murderous Troglodytes. (Hmm, a huge tribe of white-skinned murderous freaks striking from the shadows with rocks and sewer-covered sharpened pieces of rusty metal should be huge fun. Umm, stealing my own idea right now, will be back in a minute.) NERPS! GET YOUR NERPS! (Okay, back!) Astral Perception should be a huge asset down in those twisting passageways. And feel free to use any beastie from outside their normal range. Finding out why they are in the Seattle sewers should lead to new adventures.
9. Something is going wrong at the Space Needle’s observation deck. Instead of inspiring awe, it seems to be inspiring dread. Despite their precautions, several people have committed suicide this week, and dozens have been wrestled down off the safety fences. Is it a spirit? A specter? A mage causing fear? The crew will need to investigate. And what kind of shenanigans can ensue 185 meters up with a fear-causing entity? The kind that need a parachute or Levitation to survive…
10. Someone is playing tricks in the Seattle Art Museum. Several accidents have taken place and between broken pieces and broken bodies their Chief Security Officer is concerned. Enter the Crew. Tracking astral signatures for a week while dodging patrons, scared guards and the Ghost Haunters™ trideo show crew (The CSO didn’t have it her own way; the Media Relation officer saw an opportunity for free advertising…) should make for some good role-playing times. Throw in a fatal accident and shenanigans should ensue. It may well be a spirit or some other human agency, but Blackberry Cats have Accident powers too. Maybe the Crew will need to bring a saucer of milk to lay this beast?

An Alphabet of Mr. Johnson’s Meeting Places, Part 2

As promised, Mr. Black has once again decided to help you out and present Part 2 of an Alphabet of places to meet Mr. Johnson, again inspired by such luminaries as Edward Gorey and Kenneth Hite. As a reminder, Mr. Johnson is usually looking for locations that provide discretion, safety, security, and anonymity. And Mr. Black is back to cheerfully explain why these locations provide the aforementioned qualities. He divided it into 2 parts, to avoid the dreaded Wall of Text. You’re welcome! You can find Part 1 below. Use these locations at your Crew’s peril…

N – Needle, Space, The. Ahh, the Seattle Space Needle. 185 meters of Meet and Swap. Decent security, combined with 152 meters of chokepoint in and out. Not much to do here but have meetings, eat dinner, and see Seattle. The Space Needle could be perfect for a Meet and Dine, or one of the worse double-cross locations of all time. I can see Mr. Johnson grabbing the MacGuffin, jumping off the observation balcony and then popping the chute he hid under his suit. Then letting the Crew know that his boys are waiting outside the elevator at the bottom. (Or if Mr. Johnson is right proper bastard, are aiming at the elevator with a RPG!) How many Crewmembers can the Mage levitate down? Can the Rigger use rotodrones to fly the Crew out? Or perhaps, as the Crew uses the elevator to leave, Mr. Johnson casually lets them know via commlink that there are enough explosives aboard wired to go off at 30 meters. Can the Crew defuse the bomb quick enough? And Goddess forbid your players have read this, they will never want to go to the Space Needle now, even with an aboveboard Mr. Johnson. Ahh, sweet, sweet paranoia…

O – Office Building. While the lobby could pass for a meeting place, we are really talking about floors going through renovation. Big open spaces with lots of plastic sheeting on the floor (is that for body disposal?), plastic sheeting on the furniture (is that for body disposal?), and sometimes plastic sheeting on the windows (is that for body disposal?). Unless of course Mr. Johnson needs a sniper or 2 as back up, in which case the windows will be free of plastic (that is for body disposal!). Expect to meet here during business hours if Mr. Johnson needs anonymity, and after hours if he has laid out fresh plastic sheeting and the GM needs darkness to emphasize the laser sight dots appearing on the Crew’s foreheads.

P – Parking Structure. A parking structure is an almost perfect place for a Meet or a Swap. Whether it is attached to a shopping center, commercial building, or is a free standing structure in downtown, a parking structure gives Mr. Johnson everything he needs. Seclusion, crowds for anonymity, a maze of vehicles to hide/take cover behind, and heaps of concrete stopping surveillance devices, Parking Structures offer a lot. Of course, the Parking Structure’s surveillance devices are still working, unless someone hacks them. They often have height restrictions, with all the floors above the first too low for Bulldog Step-Vans or Ares Roadmasters. Parking structures are really great for Swaps. Mr. Johnson meet with the Crew a few floors down from the roof, and then land a helicopter on the roof and fly off with his MacGuffin, keeping all that concrete between him and the Crew (and vice-versa!)

Q – Quilcene. A small town across the sound in Skokomish lands, Quilcene is an example of a location Mr. Johnson might pick to stay out of the prying eyes of UCAS agencies. Close to Seattle and accessible by road or boat via Puget Sound, Quilcene can provide the GM a chance to get their Crew out of Seattle and into a foreign country while still being close to home. Home to oyster farmers, Quilcene Bay itself may be a meeting place. Getting there is another thing. Can the Crew’s SINs hold up to crossing the border? And getting back? Will they need to smuggle themselves in, maybe amongst the oyster farmers? Or will they smuggle themselves in so they can carry all those wonderful toys they so love. And will they save room for pie when they pass through Duckabush?

R – Renraku Arcology. First, you should know in Mr. Black’s campaign that Renraku Arcology is still going strong. Mr. Black has Deus rising in Boston instead. Why? Because Mr. Black wanted Renraku to continue to have a strong presence in Seattle (and how can a GM pass up on an adversary called the Red Samurai?!?) And second, because the shopping center inside of the Arcology is such a fun place for a meeting. Fun for the GM anyways. The security is hellishly tight. Renraku has spent a lot of advertising revenue defining the center as a safe family space, and backs it up at the entry doors. Crews will need excellent SINs just to get in, and better leave all those wonderful weapons at home. Using a real SIN to get in? Better not be wanted by Renraku, or Knight Errant either. Renraku’s security officers (charmingly called the “PuSecOs”, they are smiling, friendly, helpful, lightly armed, and just waiting to call the Red Samurai for backup) will often pass info on the KE while it locks them in the scanning booth. It helps to keep the center safe, ensures KE will show up when called, and they generate a lot of bounty dollars for Renraku. But once you get in, you can count on your safety. And Mr. Johnson likes his safety. However one should watch for the many, many surveillance devices and tracking systems.

S – Sushi Restaurant. A Sushi Restaurant offers a GM a lot of fun. Mr. Johnson will choose a very nice one, one that offers real fish. Will the Crew try it? Real fish that is raw? Most of the Crew will have never eaten real food. Will a player who hates the idea of sushi cause a ruckus? In a very nice restaurant what sorts of comedy of manners shenanigans can the Crew get into? And what if Mr. Johnson offers up fugu? Is he trying to test the Crew? Or is he trying to poison the Crew? Trying to reward the Crew? All 3 at once?

T – Theatre. Whether it is showing sim-sense shows, opera or live performances, a Theatre can be a fantastic place for a Meet/Swap. A sim-sense/movie theatre benefits from crowds and darkness. Depending on where it is and the kind of movies it shows, it may be full of teeny-boppers or sleeping bums trying to stay warm. Think about the scene in The Departed where Frank Costello and Sgt. Costigan meet in the porno theatre. If you want to ramp up the Party’s discomfort levels, make it a theatre catering to whatever kink the Crew can’t handle. Between what is on the screen and what is going on in the seats all sorts of responses should kick in. Opera Theatres of course have those wonderful boxes where the rich and mighty sit. See again, The Departed. A GM could get some interesting shenanigans with the Crew getting the wrong box number and bribing ushers, flirting with High/Luxury lifestyle women, and sneaking around between acts. Or the stabby Sammie/Adept could have a fight on the balconies, ala Scaramouche. Ropes to swing from, heights to fall from and so, so much more. And any live stage comes with dressing rooms, prop rooms, costume storage rooms, and set dressing storage, all waiting for Mr. Johnson to set up a discrete meeting with the Crew. Or try the rafters, or under the stage during a performance, as in Sherlock Holmes 2, or between the backdrops for a claustrophobic meeting place. And if you want to amp up the danger, drop sandbags on them, have trap doors open underneath them, or just reenact the scene cut from Gangster Squad, where the heroes come through the screen, shooting Tommy guns. And if Batman Begins has taught us anything, the outside of an opera theatre is as dangerous as the inside…

U – Underpass. An Underpass in a less used part of town can be an excellent quick meeting point. Since they are on or near a street/freeway, it is easy to get in and easy to escape. A busy one can add all those rushing cars to the mix in case there is any action at the Meet. Mr. Johnson may prefer an Underpass as a meeting location to stay out of the prying eyes in the skies. And of course, Mr. Johnson and the Crew may run into something else in that Underpass, like the Fremont Troll…

V – VR Club. Ah the VR Club. Almost a classic. The Crew will need the proper equipment just to get in. And perhaps new Icons/Personas. And yes, those Persona Icons can tell a lot about a person. Are you really turning up to the Meet in your regular “Pink Bubble Tubby” Icon? Or your obscene bondage Persona you use at the Virtual Bunraku site you frequent during Downtime? Way to make an impression, gutterbunny. And this is just for AR. A true VR club may restrict the Meet to just the Hacker. Of course, that may be what Mr. Johnson wants. Heck, the Hacker may have to hack his way into the club; if he can’t make it, he certainly won’t be up to the Run Mr. Johnson has planned. So many options give the GM lot to play with. And maybe, just maybe, the Meet may be in Dante’s Inferno, down deep in the levels. Is the Crew ready for that?

W – Work Site. A work site shares many of the same qualities of an Office Space (q.v.). Except on the Work Site the entire building is undergoing renovation. Full of steel, still wet cement, and tall floors with no safety apparatus, a Work Site is a dream for a Mr. Johnson planning a double cross. Think about that scene in Casino Royale, with James Bond chasing the bomb maker, and then imagine your Party fighting on I-beams 6 stories up. Tempting, ain’t it? And what could be better than rewarding the player who chose 15 points of the Negative Quality in acrophobia that a gun fight way up there at night? Meets/Swaps could also take place at ground level in and around the work huts put up to protect the project managers. All those huts, work machines, stack of materials and spoil can be great for blocking line of sight, and all that steel should provide a lot of Noise for inhibiting surveillance devices. And perhaps Mr. Johnson works for the Union, or the OCO running the Union. This would give him lots of back up on site, and several people who could help him hide bodies if needed, like in the freshly poured cement foundation. Go back and look at the scenes in Rising Sun where the Yakuza confront the heroes in a Work Site and use it to scare your Party.

X – Exhibition Hall. An Exhibition Hall is a great meeting location. Whether it is Seattle’s yearly E-3 electronics show, a wine tasting, a job fair, or a temporary art exhibit. As a place to provide anonymity, security, and discretion, an Exhibition Hall may seem counter-intuitive. However, given the huge size stretching security thin, masses of people to blend in with, and potentially lots of different security forces from various different corporations, Exhibition Halls have lots to offer. And all those folks make facial recognition techniques work overtime. Depending on the exhibition that is taking place, it may just provide cover for the meeting, or Mr. Johnson may use it to show the Crew exactly what they need to Retrieve. “Steal that prototype commlink!” “Taste lovely doesn’t it? Steal me 6 cases of this wine and destroy the rest!” “See that executive? Grab her tonight!” “I want all of the DeGaucey photos on the walls. You have until the end of the exhibition to get them!” And just imagine starting a shootout at that job fair, you know the one attended by all of the Big Ten and many of the AA, A, and B corporations. A crew could become wanted by every major corporation in Seattle in one night!

Y – Yard, Rail. A Rail Yard is where all the rolling stock (all the cars-box cars, flat cars, etc.) is stored until needed. All those cars take up lots of room. And thus the Rail Yard provides fun and games by its seclusion, sheer area, and large boxcars to hide in and behind, and to fight around. The Crew will be far from their vehicles. All that track will make for dangerous footing, giving the Crew a negative modifier if a fight breaks out. Throw in the occasional train passing through and you will have one memorable fight on your hands. And even with no shootout, this vast modern forest of wood and iron, far from help, should kick your Party’s sense of paranoia and vulnerability into high gear.

Z – Zoological Gardens. There are many Zoological Gardens around Seattle. Beside the famous garden inside Fort Lewis proper, Seattle also boasts the UW Botanical Gardens, Volunteer Park, the Japanese Gardens, Kubota Garden, and many, many more. A Zoological Garden offers Mr. Johnson many of the things he desires when meeting the Crew. Depending on the garden there may be crowds to hide in, or deserted wooded paths to hide from the crowds. All those trees can mess with surveillance and surveillance devices. The gardens are one of the few spots in Seattle that are ideal for summoning Nature spirits (though to be honest there are literally hundreds of parks in Seattle.) And all that cover can hide Mr. Johnson’s response team, either for his protection or for the double-cross.  And visiting at night, at closing hours, only enhances everything while including running/hiding from park security forces. They may be poor rent-a-cops, or highly protective shamans of the Eagle Mentor or Druidic school.

Mr. Black’s Guide for New Shadowrun Game Masters – Part 1, Start it Fast!

While experienced GM’s and players may gain some insights from this series, the articles all assume that both the GM and the players will be new to not only the Shadowrun rules, but also the Shadowrun milieu. Mr. Black assumes you will be using the current 5^th Edition rulebook. These articles also assume the game will take place in Seattle, in or about 2075. This series may be useful for those running and playing Missions, but they are written with the long immersive campaign in mind. Thus they will veer from certain guidelines in the Big Rule Book. Feel free to use any and all of the advice presented, or to ignore it either partially or completely. Mr. Black will not be coming to your house and extracting/assassinating anyone. Well, not outside of the gaming Table and pre-Imperial San Francisco anyways. And while Mr. Black is open to constructive criticism and maintaining an open dialogue with anyone having questions, doubts or concerns (please use the comment section below), he is not here to argue his opinions, nor the validity of his bizarre and arcane use of Capitalization or of his fondness for the Oxford comma. Nor does he care to get into word fights about the rules. He prefers to use them as presented, even if they seem not to make sense. That way at least everyone at the Table on the same page so to speak.

1: Start it Fast!

            You want the first session to start fast. The very first session is not a time to be coy, or spend a lot of time having characters chatting with NPC’s. It should be short, sharp, and fast. Ideally it should only last 1 session, 2 at most. You want to get in, get out, and leave your players victorious and hungry for more. Think of a favorite video game, a good one but with long annoying cut scenes. The screen shows your character running around, talking with people and doing exposition. You wait and wait to actual do something. You just want to try out the controls, to move, run and jump. You want to shoot something, hit something, just to see what it is like. You want to do something, anything. That is what the first session should be. Action, not cut scenes. Doing something, not waiting for the action to start. So skip the exposition and get your Crew moving.

It is not just you who wants to get moving. Your players will have spent a lot of time creating their characters. They have loaded their characters with enough guns, gear, spells, spirits, decking tricks and drones to challenge a Sherpa’s encumbrance. Your players will be dieing to try all that stuff out. They will want to stress test their characters and kick some hoop. Their character’s trigger fingers will be itching to see how much they can kill/destroy and how much damage they can take/evade and still keep going. You should give them the chance to do it. Do it now, before they start trying to shoot anything that moves and get into trouble. Remember, idle dice hands are the Devil’s own TPK tools. I don’t know about you, but if I have an Ingram Smartgun full of APDS ammo, I am going to want to make sure my Smartlink™ works by shooting the drek out of something. Maybe even my teammates. And that can lead to Run-ending, Character-ending distractions.

Now some of you may be thinking, “What about the Legwork?” I say forget about the Legwork on the first run. While Legwork is extremely important to Shadowrunning, you want to ease your players into it. It involves a lot of planning and thinking and talking with NPC’s, all things you want to avoid the first night. You want things to go boom, not go on and on. You also want every player to participate. Sometimes the Face character can get carried away, and 3 hours of wonderful improvisational theatre follows, with the GM and the Face entertaining everyone. Or sending the rest of the Party on a Trideo break. And then the session ends. There will be time for the Face later. He will, in fact, be negotiating with Mr. Johnson and the Fixer briefly. And investigative types may want to spend all session checking everything out. Their desire to know all, or their paranoia to prevent all, is commendable. But not in the first session. We need action, not 4 hours of reconnaissance and blueprint pulling. Give the Party and Crew sizzle, not fizzle. Keeping them focused will do this.

The key way to keep them focused is to structure the mission to have a very short time window. The crew needs to go somewhere now, and make something happen as soon as they get there. Have their Fixer call them and send them to the Meet site in an hour. Mr. Johnson wants them to leave right now and go get the MacGuffin. And take it someplace. Oh, and they need to grab it and get it to that place in 2 hours. Additionally, make the run simple to start, and simple to finish. You can set up that long incredibly awesome story arc later. Like in session 2 or 3. And don’t give them time-wasting outs. Their contacts? All busy. The Crew wants to buy some more gear? The Fixer will have it later, not now. Forgot their assault rifle? It is in the Van, of course, under the ammo bag. Get them moving and don’t let them stray.

Now that they have got to the Run part of the session, keep them on task and eliminate distractions. There is no need for police traffic stops, random go-gang drive-by attacks, or other shenanigans. Get the Crew “stuck in”, as our British cousins like to say. Show the players the path to the MacGuffin, show them the adversaries protecting the MacGuffin, and allow their characters to eliminate those adversaries and go get that MacGuffin. There should be some opposition of course, but this is not the time for vagaries or equivocating. Again, everyone at the table is new to Shadowrunâ, maybe even new to role-playing games. And you the GM may be one of those new people. Please no hellish puzzles, Holmesian murder mysteries or other nonsense. There is plenty of time for all of that later. Guide them through as much as you can without railroading them.

The opposition for this first run should be light. As in pushover light. You want 2 things here. Thing One, you want the characters to win. So set the opposition to roll 4-6 dice at a time, total. They may be lowly gangbangers, rent-a-cops, or low-end mobsters. Don’t make them tough; make them fragile and incompetent. Don’t worry about them, their buddies can get revenge later. And it is easy to learn the rules when you’re not afraid for your characters life. So Thing Two, you want the players (and you too!) to learn the basics of the rules. So let the characters shoot things, punch things, drive things, dodge things, spell things, and hack things. Get them used to figuring out dice pools. Remind them how glitches happen. Remind them to use Edge. And get them to use it. Just make sure their Edge returns in time for the next session, and that they know that.

Make sure they finish the Run. Fudge it a bit if you have to, but finish the Run. The last bad guy still standing? Have him fail that Defense test by just enough to drop. Those rent-a-guards pouring in fire upon the Crew? They miss. That last bullet that hits the Street Sammie? It does just enough damage to keep him on his feet, before he staggers into the Van and collapses. Failure on the first Run can destroy the Party. So do just enough Game Master Hand-Waving to get the Party and the Crew to the goal line. But no more than that. While finishing the first Run successfully is extremely important, player agency is just as important. Players always need to know that their decisions matter (more on that in a future post.) But for now, session one, get them through.

When they finish (and they will finish, see above), make the Swap simple. Mr. Johnson thanks them, hands the Crew the money, and off he goes. The Crew makes it home and everyone wins! The characters all have some more Rep, more money, and more Karma. And the players have more experience playing the game, and now know (sort of) what to expect. And so do you. And now you can up the ante, load up on all the NPC’s, lay in your story arcs, introduce your Big Bads, set in motion the repercussions of Mr. Johnson gaining that MacGuffin, and immerse your players and characters into the Sixth World. And have a great time jointly experiencing the immense fun that is playing Shadowrun.